


An Empty Place

by Serenity2020



Category: The Good Life | Good Neighbors
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenity2020/pseuds/Serenity2020
Summary: When Jerry finds out his dreams are not as good as his reality
Relationships: Barbara Good/Jerry Leadbetter, Jerry Leadbetter/Margo Leadbetter, Tom Good/Margo Leadbetter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	An Empty Place

Jerry Leadbetter woke up in an empty bed. _Where is Margo_ , he thought to himself and then it hit him, Margo was gone. She would not be back.

It had been months now and he still ached for her. He missed her warm, soft body and morning cuddles. He missed her brushing him down before he went to work, making sure he was presentable to her high standards. He even missed their quarrels. He missed her of a night when he came home to an empty house. Other than the missing her in bed, he thought that coming home to an empty house was the worst. 

  


He pictured what it used to be like. The house was warm, Margo was dressed in a nice gown, she would greet him with a kiss. Dinner would be getting ready if they were eating at home. He would hear all about her day and tell her about his. Then after dinner they would relax before going to bed. A predictable and entirely satisfying routine.

Even as Margo got sicker, she was determined for this routine to be the one constant, it gave her a sense of purpose and kept some normality. Until it was no longer physically possible and she had to give it up. If she was not so sick by then, Jerry knew she would have been very depressed. Friends kept their fridges full of meals so Jerry could eat and try and feed Margo, but her appetite was all but gone and she just wanted to hear about Jerry’s day and keep her mind off her own situation. She even argued less, which was when Jerry knew it was getting close. 

And then she slipped away and never came back. It was the hardest day of Jerry’s life. Saying goodbye to the love of his life. 

His ache was physical, god he missed her. Yes, she could be high maintenance and arguing was just a form of communicating but she was loving, generous and loyal. His predecessor at JJM, Andy, once said that he thought Margo was Jerry’s 'baton'. He was right. Margo was Jerry’s greatest supporter, defender and advantage. She adored him. And he adored her. And all arguments that they had over their years of marriage were just a form of communicating to get all their issues off their chests. They always made up passionately. 

At least it was the weekend. He had golf with one of his work subordinates. Now that Jerry was ‘Sir’ he had no lack of young, career driven people looking to curry favor with him to advance their careers, just like he had done with Andy. Then dinner with his neighbors, Tom and Barbara Good. They had been good friends for many years now and supported him greatly through Margo’s sickness and death. They too grieved for their dear friend Margo. She had been both their greatest opposition when they first adopted their self sufficient lifestyle and after a difficult period of acceptance became their greatest supporter. She was brutally honest and overly concerned with appearances but she had a heart of gold and they missed her terribly. They had seen how Jerry had suffered through Margo’s illness and death and had made a conscious effort to keep an eye on him. He needed real friends, not the social climbing type who only had their own interests at heart. 

The golf was acceptable and Jerry walked next door to the Goods in the early evening. In Margo’s declining days they had been the only people, other than Jerry, whom she allowed to see her. To Jerry’s surprise it was Tom, not Barbara, who had spent the most time with her. Margo and Tom’s relationship had its ups and downs, particularly Tom’s tendency to laugh at most things Margo took seriously which was amplified by Margo’s lack of a sense of humor. As Margo deteriorated Tom visited her daily, often filling in hours on end. Jerry didn’t know what they talked about (although he had eavesdropped from time to time), but it amused Margo and brought her happiness and for that Jerry was grateful, albeit maybe with a touch of jealousy. 

Despite Tom’s making jokes of all things Margo took seriously Jerry could see the attraction Tom felt towards Margo. She was the opposite of Barbara who was down to earth, good humored and slightly eccentric like her husband. Tom and Barbara still acted like newly weds all these years later. They were both completely committed to their life philosophy of self sufficiency, despite its hardships. Barbara was also curious at the amount of time Tom spent with Margo and when Margo died Tom’s grief was palpable. He spent a lot of time alone in the garden and even Barbara’s enticement of bedroom activities couldn’t quite break him out of it. Tom didn’t share with Barbara what he and Margo talked about. She tried to ask but frustratingly Tom never really answered her, “This and that.” was his general answer. Even still he was somehow shut off to her. 

Dinner was nice, somehow Margo’s not being there still left a gaping hole. Of course they spoke about her, laughing about the fun times - when she helped them harvest their first crop in the rain, when they moved the windbreak, the community pottery class she had taken and her horror with the teacher who called her Margie, the disaster that was the Sound of Music and her refusal to take the lead in Sweet Charity. "Good old Margo." they laughed.

Tom went to bed early, insisting Jerry stay and keep talking to Barbara. “Not himself lately, old Tom, is he?” Jerry asked. 

“No, not since Margo died.” Barbara said, slightly embarrassed to be saying this to Jerry. 

“Funny in the end how they got along so well. She would really brighten after his visits you know.”

“What do you think they talked about?”

“I heard them sometimes, Tom would just talk about self sufficiency and what he has learnt and his plans for the future. Margo really enjoyed it. I even heard her laugh sometimes.” Jerry smiled at the memory. “I think as she got closer to dying the superficial things lost all their importance to her, she didn’t care what people thought of her. Somehow she took herself less seriously. She was even more beautiful.” Jerry couldn’t help it, he began to sob. 

“Oh Jerry!” Barbara put her arms around him. He collapsed into her arms, enjoying the feeling of being held. Jerry had always had a yen for Barbara. He wasn’t sure if it was her eyes or her open affections or her easy nature or just that she was so different to Margo. While Margo was alive Jerry would never have allowed himself to give in to his yearning for Barbara, his marriage meant too much to him.

What started as being comforted escalated and before they knew it they were locked in a passionate embrace. Years of flirting culminated and Jerry was desperately pulling off Barbara’s clothes to fulfill the needs in him that had not been met in months. As Margo got sicker their sex life dwindled to non existent. Jerry didn’t mind. He knew Margo missed it as much as him, the comfort of the closeness that they could only get from each other. Until now. 

Barbara was so different to Margo, she didn’t have Margo’s long lean legs or ample bosom. She was petite and less physical than he expected. Still Jerry found himself lost in the moment and when they finished he was immediately apologetic. He may now be a free man, but Barbara was married to his best friend. 

“Don’t be silly Jerry! I wanted it too. I have for a long time.”

“I’m sorry Barbara, I have to go.” Jerry rushed home, mortified at what had happened. 

That night as Jerry lay in bed he was wracked with guilt. He regretted losing control with Barbara and he missed his cuddles with Margo more than ever. He felt emptier than before. He was surprised that after fantasizing about Barbara for so long he felt so down now. As he fell asleep he dreamed of Margo in her black stockings. 

It was early the next morning when he heard the front door bell. Still in his robe, he answered to see Barbara. She pushed him in and slammed the door shut behind her. “I thought of you all night.” She told him as she undid his robe. 

“Barbara please -“

“I don’t know why we waited so long!” She said as she kissed him and continued to undress him.

“But Tom -“

“Don’t worry about Tom. Come on Jerry, I know you have always wanted me, now you can have me Jerry. Take me!”

“Barbara-“

“Call me dollface.”

Jerry surrendered and let Barbara lead him back up to his bedroom for their second indiscretion. Jerry’s mind was protesting the thought of taking Barbara to his and Margo’s bed but again he was weakened by the feeling of desire and he participated fully. And as they lay there afterwards he still didn’t feel right.

He was confused that what he had lusted for was now his for the taking and he didn’t enjoy it like he thought he would. He felt empty. He felt like he was cheating on Margo. He missed her even more. Her smooth skin, her throaty laugh, the way she made him feel when they made love, like he was the luckiest man alive. It was an equal partnership - she loved pleasuring him and being pleasured by him. He knew Margo had come across as a prude, keeping up proper appearances had been very important to her, but in the privacy of her own home with her husband she was anything but prudish. He felt the ache again for Margo. Damn woman - she could make his life hell whether she was here or not. He had taken her for granted and he regretted it deeply. 

Somehow the next couple of months blurred together. It was a routine of Barbara coming over, Jerry's protests weakening to non-existent, until Barbara was then living there. He wasn't quite sure how it all happened, or what Tom thought about it. He supposed he was too frightened to go and find out. Now when he came home of an evening, Barbara was there waiting for him. Drinks were ready to go but dinner was an afterthought. He missed Margo's cooking too. Whilst it had irritated him at times that nothing was slapped together with Margo, he deeply pined for her gourmet dinners, painstakingly prepared. Now every dinner was slapped together, unless they went out, and this irritated him. At least the house wasn't empty, and Barbara couldn't wait to pounce on him. Somehow, this irritated him as well. And Barbara just didn't have a point of view like Margo did.

What he had once thought would be a dream, was now becoming a nightmare. He longed for the days past where he would come home to Margo dressed beautifully, dinner thoughtfully prepared, hearing the details of Margo's day and who had upset her, an evening of some banal social activity or time just sitting with Margo in comfortable silence, he missed how they made love - the reciprocation of pleasure - he missed her more than ever. He realised that whilst Barbara night be perfect for Tom, she couldn't hold a candle to Margo. His Margo, perfect in her own imperfection. Maybe she didn't have a sense of humor, but he missed every part of her. 

That night as he lay in bed, he wondered how it all went so wrong. He had taken Margo for granted, every magical thing about her. He had always assumed they would be together until he died first. Despite the perception that she was self centered she understood Jerry and what he wanted and needed better than he knew himself. Now he felt more alone than ever. He drifted to sleep.

When he woke up in the morning the first thing he heard was, “Jerry, what on earth have you been dreaming about. You have been making the most dreadful noises, you kept me awake half the night!” 

Jerry was confused, he rubbed his eyes. His precious Margo was there with him again. “Margo?”

“Well who did you expect - Cyd Charisse?” Margo asked him crossly and he laughed in relief. 

“Darling, I had the worst dream, you had died and I missed you terribly.” He told her and his voice gave away how much the dream had frightened him.

Margo’s eyes softened, “Oh Jerry,” she stroked his face, “I’m here.” and she leaned into him for a kiss. She had never seen him like this before, he looked stricken by the dream he was describing.

His arms went around her tightly, like he never wanted to let her go and when he felt her hands exploring his body he responded wanting her to feel his love for her like she never had before. He ravished her until she was moaning for him to join her and they rode waves of pleasure together until the final sweet release and they lay intertwined in each other. 

Jerry kissed her head and whispered, ‘Don’t ever leave me darling. I love you Margo, more than you’ll ever know. I'm sorry if I take you for granted.”

Margo kissed his chest and replied, “Never darling, I will never leave you. I love you, Jerry.”

As they lay together, Margo soaked up Jerry's affection. One of his hands was cupping her breast, the other stroking her hair, and she could feel that he was taking comfort in being able to hold her. She wondered what his dream was, it had obviously scared him as he had never been this intense before. Margo knew he loved the physical side of their relationship, even though he could be a bit dense sometimes when she was being suggestive, but this morning was something special. 

_Funny Jerry_ she thought, as she snuggled into him. Soon it would be time to get up and enjoy their weekend.

"I'm going to cancel golf this morning." Jerry murmured to her, "Let's just stay here together."

"What a good idea Jerry." Margo replied, and she moved in to kiss him. Jerry responded passionately, relishing every part of being able to touch her. 

His yen for Barbara Good completely disappeared and never returned. 


End file.
